Ear protector



May 24, 1938.

N. c. SMITH EAR PROTECTOR Filed July 6, 1957 ZhWUYI M lVellielL miifi Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to means for protecting the ear from the entrance of foreign matter and the device is particularly designed for use by women when being given a shampoo, a hair dress, a hair dye job, or where the hair is being bleached, and is also adapted to be used where hair is being curled or marcelled with a hot implement such as a Marcel iron. or a permanent wave machine and the like, to protect the ear from being burned.

The general object is to provide a device of this character which may be readily applied and readily removed, which is thoroughly effective for the purpose intended, which includes a frame adapted to support two ear protectors and which may be readily sprung into place on the wearers face with the ear protectors over the ears, and which further is so constructed that the web of fabric which acts to protect the ear may be readily removed or readily replaced whenever desired.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my ear guard or protector.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the ear guard on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the frame.

Referring to this drawing, it will be seen that the supporting frame for the ear protectors may be made of wire or other suitable resilient material and that, as illustrated, the frame is formed of a length of wire which is so bent as to form a cross-bar II], the wire being then looped at the ends of the cross-bar, as at H, then extended upward, as at I2, then downward, as at I3, parallel to the upper portion of the wires I2, then again upward, as at I4, and then rearward and then downward, as at I5. The portions I3 and I4 are disposed in close contiguity with each other, and preferably the upper end of the portion I4 approximates quite closely the upper end of the portion I3. The frame so constructed may be made of wire, celluloid, hard rubber or a light wire covered with hard rubber or other flexible coating. I have illustrated a wire which is protected, as shown in Fig. 3, by an outer coating I8 of rubber or like material. It is to be understood that when I refer to the frame, therefore, I include frames which may be made of various materials set forth above. Carried by the inverted U-shaped portion of the frame formed by the portions I4 and I5 is a protecting web I6,

which may be made of oiled silk or any other suitable material. This material, if the protector is to be used when the hair is being washed, dyed or otherwise submitted to liquid treatment, is preferably water-proof. Where the protector is to be used for protecting the car from being burned in the operation of hair curling or waving, then the protector may be of some material which is a poor conductor of heat or whichwill otherwise protect the ear.

Preferably and as illustrated, this protecting web I6 has sufiicient fullness so that it bulges outward as illustrated in Fig. 1, for the purpose of receiving the entire ear. 7 The margin of this web I6 is formed with a hem H on three sides which will receive the portions I4 and I5 of the frame. If the frame is formed of wire coated with a coating of rubber, celluloid or other flexible material, the portions I4 and I5 of the frame are preferably left bare, so as to permit the ready insertion of the end of the portion l5 of the wire into the hem I1 and then the slipping of this hem over the portions I5 and I4, until the end of the hem bears against the lower end of the portion I4 at its junction with the bend I3. That portion of the web I6 which is not engaged by the frame is merely formed with a reinforcing hem I9, but this is not tubular as is the hem I! for the purpose of receiving any wire.

In the use of this device, it is placed upon the head with the cross-bar I extending beneath the chin or any other portion of the face and with the portion I of the frame disposed forward of the ear. The extremity of the portion I5 may be wrapped at 2!] with suitable soft material so that in case this extremity of the portion I5 protrudes beyond the end of the hem II, this protruding portion of the frame will not scratch the face of the wearer. It will be noted that the close approximation of the upper end of the portion I4 to the portion I3 of the frame will act tohold the web I6 in place upon the frame and prevent it accidentally shifting out of place or becoming detached. By drawing the portion I4 away from the portion I3, however, the web may be readily detached.

The ear protectors which I have devised are particularly useful in protecting the ears against It is to be understood that the frame may be made of any material which will give a tension against the face or, in other words, which is elastic enough to be expanded to embrace the head and permit the arms 12 to bear with a slight tension against the face to hold the device in place.

Furthermore, it is obvious that I do not wish to be limited to the use of the loops l I though these may constitute springs giving the requisite tension to the arms l2. The arms, however, might extend directly from the cross-bar in an obvious manner without being formed with the loops H.

What is claimed is:- 4

1. An ear protector, including a frame of resilient material formed to provide a cross-piece and two arms extending therefrom, the end of each arm having the form of an inverted approximately U-shaped portion, and a Web of fabric carried by said U-shaped portion and having sufficient fullness to surround the rim of the ear and extend across the face of the ear.

2. An ear protector, including a frame of resilient material formed to provide a cross-piece and two arms extending upwardly therefrom, the upper ends of the arms being bent downward and then upward to provide two approximately parallel portions, the upper ends of which closely approximate each other, the upwardly extending portions of the frame being then extended forward and downward to form an inverted U- shaped portion adapted to engage around the roots of the ears, and a web of fabric carried by the U-shaped portions of the frame and each having sufiicient fullness to surround the rim of the ear and extend across the face of the ear.

3. An ear protector, including a frame of resilient material formed to provide a cross-piece and two arms extending upwardly therefrom, the upper ends of the arms being bent downward and then upward to provide two approximately parallel portions, the upper ends of which closely approximate each other, the upwardly extending portions of the frame being then extended forward and downward to form an inverted U-shaped portion adapted to engage around the roots of the ears, and a web of fabric carried by the U-shaped portions of the frame and each having sufficient fullness to surround the rim of the ear and extend across the face of the ear, the fabric being formed with a hem to receive the U-shaped portion and being removable therefrom.

4. An ear protector, including a frame of resilient material formed to provide a cross-piece and two arms extending therefrom, the ends of the arms being formed to constitute approximately U-shape-d portions adapted to embrace the ear at the root thereof, these U-shaped portions carrying an ear protecting web having fullness such that the web will embrace the rim of the ear, and cushioning pads disposed rearward of said ear embracing portion and adapted to fit against the temples.

5. An ear protector, including a resilient frame, approximately U-shaped to slide over and embrace the ear at the root thereof, and a web of fabric carried by the frame and having sufiicient fullness to surround the rim of the ear and extend across the face of the ear.

NELLIE C. SMITH. 

